Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard emphasized the importance of the Rules of Origin (CRO) Committee during its 30th-anniversary event. Ellard highlighted the Committee's founding principles of international cooperation and trade facilitation through efficient rules of origin.
Despite the challenge of unifying these rules in global trade, Ellard stated, "the objectives of the Agreement retain all their significance for members and business in today's world," emphasizing transparency as a focal point for the Committee's ongoing work.
Ellard noted the impact of "new technologies, digital trade procedures, blockchain technologies, and artificial intelligence," on the Committee's efforts, as well as recent activities focusing on preferential rules of origin for least developed countries (LDCs). She underscored the importance of such advancements in promoting trade facilitation.
Committee Chair Mr. Guna Seelan Balakrishnan described the complexity within the Committee's essential function of determining the origin of goods, acknowledging the Committee's intense recent work concerning LDCs. "The responses and interactions I have been part of during the consultations with the LDC Group and the preference-granting members have reflected this adaptability to work through an important part of the Committee’s mandate," he said.
Darlan F. Martí of the WTO Secretariat paid tribute to those contributing to CRO's negotiations, with the current endeavors offering valuable insights into trade practices. "The lessons learned from this work extend beyond the LDCs," Martí noted, suggesting broader applications for free trade agreements.
The International Trade Centre presented statistics on the WTO, WCO, ITC's "Origin Facilitator," a comprehensive database for rules of origin. Attendees expressed their gratitude for the presentations and underscored the need for continued Committee initiatives, acknowledging Mr. Balakrishnan's leadership.
Ellard's opening remarks and related presentations will soon be accessible on the WTO website.
The CRO meeting on April 3 discussed developments in preferential rules of origin for LDCs, including updates from Japan, the European Union, China, and the United Kingdom. Cambodia and the LDC Group presented new research, while the Secretariat reported on non-preferential rules of origin notifications, noting Switzerland and Viet Nam's recent updates.
The next CRO meeting is scheduled for November 5-6.